There are already several groups up and running and here is a selection of their successful activities that you may want to consider adopting:
Existing organisations
If you are a member of a political party, a trade union, a university, a pressure group, club or organisation, why not call a meeting a talk to them about what you have found inspiring from The Spirit Level?
There are resources on this website to help you make a presentation or to generate interest among those who may not be familiar with the subject matter.
This is probably one of the most productive methods of generating interest. Contact local academics, politicians and union reps with an interest in equality to see if they would speak at your meeting.
Local website
Building a local website seems to have been particularly helpful to the Sheffield, Scotland and London groups. You can use the resources from TET website to populate the site or contact bill.kerry@equalitytrust.org.uk for more information. Look at these sites in the UK as examples of what can be done.
http://www.sheffieldequalitytrust.org.uk/
http://www.scotlandequalitygroup.net/
The Equality Pledge
TET is calling on supporters to contact their election candidates and ask them to sign the Equality Pledge.
Supporters can find and contact their candidates directly through the Equality Trust website. This is an ideal activity for local groups, who could write letters, run a stall asking people to contact their candidates, or arrange to meet candidates and explain in person why this is such an important issue.
Local groups may also like to use the Equality Pledge to gain local media coverage of the issue, for example by sending in a photograph of a candidate signing up to the Equality Pledge and connecting it to a local story on an issue affected by inequality, such as school performance or crime rates. You can write to local newspapers directly here.
And perhaps most importantly, by signing the pledge candidates have committed themselves to working for greater equality - and we can all hold them to this later!
Advertising
Groups can display posters and distribute leaflets in libraries, cafes, and any progressive / alternative places in their neighbourhood.
If your 10 posters and 100 leaflets bring in just one person who is interested in being active, then it is more than worth it. Leaflets can be downloaded here and printed. Or if you would like to design your own, have a chat with bill.kerry@equalitytrust.org.uk
Numbers
Some people think that a group needs to be big to do anything. But just a few people can really make an impact - doing something different that gets a lot of press, or talking to the right people and getting local policies shifted, or just getting the word out. You may find that some of your members will want to keep in touch with what the group is doing, but may not have much time to join in, with just a few having the time and motivation to really get stuck in. But remember what anthropologist Margaret Mead famously said:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Contact
Sending a monthly email update to people who join or are interested in the group can be a good way of keeping in touch. It doesn't have to be long - in fact it's probably better if it isn't! Let people know what the group has been doing and publicise what's coming up in the next few weeks.
Organisation
Different people like to campaign in different ways. The current groups are deliberately quite loose and flexible, and encourage people to bring along their own ideas.
Try to campaign in a way that you all enjoy. Make sure good ideas are not lost, make sure active members don't feel like they are getting submerged in 'work', and make sure it's not just the loudest voices that get heard. Seeds For Change have some useful resources on running meetings (and much more).
TET has its own facebook group and fan page but a local facebook group may help to get the message out on a local basis.
At work
Find out how the income and profits in your employing organisation are distributed and discuss this with colleagues and trade union representatives.
Take steps to democratise the working practices in your organisation.
The Spirit Level
Buy
a few copies of The
Spirit Level
and give them to your friends. The paperback is now available.
Of course not everything described here will be applicable to your group, especially outside the UK, and you will have your own ideas.
Please let us know what works for you and we will add to this webpage - so that everyone can share your brainwaves!
